The document provides an introduction to karaoke for beginners. It discusses the history and evolution of karaoke from machines that played special CDs to modern computers running karaoke software. It recommends a basic setup for practicing karaoke at home, including a computer, microphone, karaoke software, and music files. The document also compares different formats for karaoke music files and their pros and cons for use on computers.

1. Karaoke
A short introduction for beginners.

2. Karaoke ( カラオケ ?
, a combination of two words of
Japanese kara 空 "empty", and ōkesutora オーケスト
ラ "orchestra") is a form of interactive entertainment or
video game in which amateur singers sing along with
recorded music (a music video) using a microphone and
public address system.

3. In the beginning there were karaoke machines
that play special cds and hooks up to a TV. The
lyrics scroll on the screen in time with the music.

4. Nowadays most karaoke machines are
ordinary computers playing karaoke software.
The special cd’s are now computer files.

5. In order to practice at home, all the hardware
you need is a computer. You will probably
want a microphone so you can record what
you sound like and maybe some earphones.
A $10
microphone
sold by
Amazon

6. The other things that you will need are the
software and some karaoke music. There
are free karaoke software programs you
can download.
KaraFun Karaoke Player
Music

7. There are several free karaoke
programs for the PC. There are
probably some for the Mac but I haven’t
researched it.
(But as you will see, you don’t really
need a special karaoke program if you
have the right music format. )
As with most things “free” there’s
usually a catch… they will be trying to
sell you something.

8. http://www.karaokebuild
er.com/kbdown.php
There are several free karaoke programs for the PC. There
are probably some for the Mac as well. This one is pretty
much free of catches except for the sale of other software
that you don’t need to buy.

9. This one is free but gives you the opportunity to buy a subscription
to their music. I don’t recommend subscribing because the music
is in a strange format that can only be accessed through an
internet connection.
On the other hand it will play karaoke files that are on your
computer and has a built in recorder.

10. There are several other free programs as well a dozen
or more commercial ones with various bells and
whistles.
Most of the programs have pitch (higher and lower
key adjustments) and tempo (playback speed)
adjustments.
There are free recorder programs you can download
if you don’t want to use the player with a built in
recorder.

11. The Music
Originally karaoke music came on special cds that
required special players. They are regular music cds but
also have a video track with the lyrics that scroll with the
music. Many vendors of karaoke music sell these special
“cd+g” discs (compact disc + graphics). These cd’s can
be “ripped” to files playable on a computer. The
standard format are a pair of files with “.mp3” and
”.cdg” extensions and are played simultaneously with
special karaoke software. eg
Denver, John - Rocky Mountain High.cdg
Denver, John - Rocky Mountain High.mp3
The file names must be the same and must be located
at the same place on the computer.

12. A karaoke cd looks something like this
(no different than an ordinary cd)

13. Some vendors sell karaoke music in video
formats that don’t require special players.
e.g. mp4 for iPhones and iPods , wmv for mot
other players etc.
Since most karaoke software on a PC will only
play “ripped” files, many vendors sell music in
formats that can be read by the software
without the need to “rip” the music and
graphics from the cd. Most of these vendors
will sell one song at a time instead of an entire
cd.

14. A comment about copyrights.
Copyright law involving music is a labyrinth of ownership rights. The whole
structure of the music industry almost came apart when the PC and the internet
made the copying and distribution of music simple even for an average
consumer. The industry fought back with copy protection schemes, random
lawsuits and a lot of lobbying in Washington , most to little effect. The
fundamental problem was the industry only wanted to sell albums for $20 while
the consumer only wanted one song on the album and could download it from
the internet for free.
iTunes and similar vendors seem to have rescued the industry from collapse with
convenient players, ease of purchase and reasonable prices.
Still with Karaoke music, since most of the market is sales is oriented toward
commercial karaoke jockeys, it is often easier to download free music (if you
happen to know where to look) than it is to buy it at a reasonable price. (karaoke
music on iTunes currently doesn’t include the scrolling lyrics.)

15. There are dozens of vendors of karaoke music on the internet. Some sell cds,
some sell individual music, some sell subscriptions to online music etc.
One vendor that stands out from the viewpoint of a home karaoke enthusiast is
The Karaoke Channel. They sell individual songs and in many cases a song
comes in several formats:
Karaoke Vendors

16. Beginners and maybe experienced singers may also be interested in a
combination with and without the lead vocal since a lot of music is
nondescript and doesn’t give strong indications of how the lyrics are
sung. Many of the songs on the Karaoke Channel website include both
versions:
There are dozens of karaoke music vendors on the internet. Just type
“karaoke music” in a search engine on your computer to find them.

17. Which Format to Use at Home?
As you can see there are numerous ways to play karaoke music on
a computer. A simplification of the pros and cons are as follows:
Karaoke video files. iTunes, iPhone, iPads and iPods currently only
play video files with mp4 or m4v extensions. Most of the video
players on a PC will play these files as well as files with wmv, avi,
mpeg and some other video extension.
The advantage of karaoke video files: They don’t require you to
install any special programs to play them. Just find the one file and
double click it.
The disadvantage of karaoke video files : With most players you
cannot change the tempo or pitch (key) of a song. Most karaoke
jockeys use CD+G files so bringing your own music to the party may
not work out. You may need to install recording software if you
want to hear what you sound like.
Karaoke CD+G files. On a computer these are two files for each
song. One usually has a mp3 extention and the other file has a cdg
extention.

18. Which Format to Use at Home cont’d
Karaoke CD+G files. On a computer these are two files for each song. One usually
has a mp3 extension for the music and the other file has a cdg extension for the
scrolling lyrics.
Advantages of Karaoke CD+G files Most CD+G players have pitch adjustments and
many have tempo adjustments as well. The players usually allow for the player
controls to be on one monitor that the karaoke jockey can see and the scrolling lyrics
on another monitor that the singer can see. A karaoke jockey will likely be able to
use your music at a party if you bring a copy on a portable storage device.
Advantages of Karaoke CD+G files You will need to download and install a special
player for cd+g files. If the player doesn’t have a built in recorder you will need to
install one to hear how you sound.

19. A Plan of Action
Unless you have experience already, you will likely want
to practice at home before you take the microphone and
sing in front of an audience. (It’s likely the audience will
appreciate a little rehearsal before hand.)